Teens accused of breaking into Birmingham school in search of game room face burglary charges

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Birmingham
police apprehended three 15-year-olds accused of breaking into Arrington Middle
School around midnight early Friday.

Officers
responded to a call of a burglary at the school on Jefferson Avenue Southwest and
were told by Birmingham City Schools security officers that three people were
in the building, according to Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards.

A detective
learned that the three juveniles, two males and a female, were former students
who broke into the school to find a game room the school used to have, Edwards
said.

"Unfortunately,
the juveniles quickly learned that the game room was no longer there and their
actions were definitely not a game but a crime," Edwards said.

He said they
were looking for the game room but it wasn't there, so they went to other parts
of the school. One took some ice cream ate some.

"Juveniles
who decide to participate in these types of crimes will be held accountable for
their actions," Edwards said. "Juvenile crime will not be tolerated in our
city. It is imperative that the BPD sends a message to all juveniles that are
thinking about breaking the law. They will be disciplined by the justice
system."

The three
teens face third-degree burglary charges.

"They're
going to be held accountable," he said. "We're not going to cut them slack if
they're going to participate in that kind of activity."